Drysuit Day

After several days of mucking about in the art world, I needed and had time for a short trip.  The morning was calm, mostly sunny, and the temperature just below freezing as I loaded up.  Guessing that the water temperature has finally dropped below 60F, it was a good day to get used to wearing the drysuit.  As I paddle all year, if the ice allows, I invested in a drysuit several years ago.  The suit is a waterproof "onesy" with built in socks, rubber gaskets at the neck and wrists and waterproof zippers. Should I fall out of the canoe, my functional swim time is greatly increased.  So far, my only test of the drysuit has been slipping on ice while finishing a portage and landing in shallow water with the canoe on top of me.  Since I did such a good job saving the canoe, I just shook myself off and paddled away.

I put in at my town's little harbor.  Well protected and narrow, the harbor hosts a variety of motor yachts, sailboats and smaller fishing vessels.  At this time of year, I expect no one else other than working fishing boats.

I pass two small schools of menhaden in the harbor. There are three Common Loons at the mouth of the harbor.  The wintering Loons make use of the tidal currents to fish. They have already lost the beautiful feather patterns that they have in summer.  There are a dozen Buffleheads feeding in the shallows.

I turn up into Gulf Pond, where I find another dozen Buffleheads and then a flock of Canada Geese about halfway up through the first section.   Add a couple of Great Blue Herons and a few Widgeons for good measure before ducking under the second bridge.

There are another fifteen Buffleheads in the upper pond.  I duck under the third bridge and ride the last of the tide through the railroad bridge, by far the oldest of thW. e bridges with a stone foundation.  This is the Indian river and I continue up to the highway bridge noting the increase in trash and wondering if anyone has ever studied highways to see their effects as trash vectors.  

I head back with not much else to add other than it is a fine day.  Heading through the harbor, I end up talking with the master of the Victor Loosanoff.  This is one of those unexpected long chats that are surprisingly common here in the northeast and it turns an ordinary canoe trip into an excellent canoe trip. This talk is far better than most as B has extensive knowledge of what NOAA researchers are doing.  He also has experience as ships engineer on the restored whaler, Charles W. Morgan, the only remaining wooden whaling ship.  The Charles W. Morgan is part of the nearby Mystic Seaport Museum.  Anyway, we discuss, oysters, dams, whales, climate change, and ship restorations - you know, the usual stuff.  After about 30 or 40 minutes, we both have to get on with what we're suppose to be doing.